The store's door chimed as Tamika buried her elbow into my hip. That alone was all I
needed to tell who had just arrived.
"Lover boy's here."
I rubbed my side where Tamika had none too gently nudged me. Subtlety was not her forte.
Blonde and bubbly, with a personality as big as she was tiny, Tamika was not the type of
girl people would have normally expected to work in a comic book store. But growing up
with three older brothers and no sisters ensured that she could hold her own with the boys.
"He's just a friend," I insisted for the hundredth time.
She simply nodded knowingly.
"You keep telling yourself that."
"Hi, Blair."
I smiled at Aden as he came to a stop before my register. He had started dropping by the
store regularly ever since that first day, usually to ask about the Kitchener. And when that
finally arrived, he stopped by just to say hello. I would recommend a new comic series, he
would tell me about a band he liked, and before we knew it, we had gone from mere
acquaintances to good friends. He too was an only child and had been home schooled as
well, so we were able to bond over quite a few things. Both of his parents were in law
enforcement; his father was a cop and his mother was a lawyer. Their erratic work
schedule was one of the main reasons why he took to spending most of his time at the
store.
"Don't you have any other friends?" I teased.
"Nope," he replied, with no hint of shame or embarrassment in his voice.
"Lucky me," I quipped.
Tamika ignored us both and set about making Aden's usual order. Aden picked out a candy
ring from the lollipop display on the counter. He tore open the wrapper and popped the
sweet treat into his mouth.
"So, your dad's away again?" he asked, grinning at me around the candy ring.
"Another book sourcing trip."
"Where'd he go this time?"
"Philadelphia."
"Fun. So you're not doing anything tonight then?"
Tamika chose that moment to have a rather conspicuous coughing fit that distracted me
from answering him for a while. Aden completely ignored her. I quelled the urge to chuck a
lollipop at her head.
"Actually, Mika and I were going to have an eighties horror movie marathon at my place - "
"You should totally come," she piped, sliding Aden's coffee order across the countertop.
"Sure," he replied with a careless shrug.
I opened my mouth, and promptly shut it again. What was the use of arguing with them?